Sonadow: The Emerald Eyes of Protection
by JessabellStories
Summary: After everything is settled and things start returning back to normal, or as normal as they could be. Sonic and Shadow continue to learn more about themselves and how all three hedgehogs can be from the same myth/religion but from different places. Around the same time, catastrophic natural disasters are destroying the world. Why? Does it have to do with them? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

The gentle humming of many cicadas roaming through the trees was just one of the many sounds that could be heard while soft winds blew through the beautiful and quiet forest. As nocturnal creatures started to dwell throughout the soft yet moist ground, a little house could be seen tucked away behind many large and old oak trees. The sun was just starting to set and inside this quaint rural little home was a relatively disliked and quiet hedgehog named Shadow. No one in the town really knew where he came from or even why he was sent to Jednak in the first place. This being said many Mobians connected him to all different kinds of myths and conspiracies that had been spreading and polluting the town for the past few weeks. Of course, he was just as worried as everyone else. After the death of his little robot child and friend, he assumed everything would return back to the way it was. However, that wasn't the case.

He submerged himself in his large soaker tub until his nose was just above the water. Trying to mask the feeling of insecurity and concern with the help of hot water and salts. Alas, it did not work as well as he intended and he pulled his body out of the water just a tad so he could return back to sitting. He started contemplating everything that had been going on. Mainly bad things. But every once in awhile he would find something to smile about. Usually surrounding his prince Sonic, or at least that's what he liked to call himself. As he continued to think about the past couple months, a rather cold mist emitted from the open window just above his tub. Shadow really hated wasting air conditioning when he could just get the cold air from outside instead, hence why it was wide open to begin with. The ebony assumed it was just the increasing humidity and thought nothing of it. He laid back his head and closed his eyes tightly as he tried to concentrate on relaxing. However, something seemed to disturb him from his meditation. A chill down one's spine, he would call it. But he didn't really understand why he was feeling it while in a warm bathtub. He then decided to get out of the water a bit, assuming he was overheating, but he continued to sense the odd feeling… He quickly put his robe on and slowly walked towards the door to the rest of the house. He looked at it closely, making sure there was no strange draft causing him to feel so uneasy. Strangely though, it was closed and closed relatively tightly. It was then that he shook it off and assumed it was his imagination. Unfortunately, that was when he heard a soft tap behind him. He had good enough hearing to know it was not natural but before he could turn around.

BAM!

Two arms gripped around his waist as hard as they could and the ebony thrashed around, trying desperately to free himself. Finally, after a few seconds of struggling, the head of the harasser rested on his soft shoulder.

"Shhhh... Everything'll be _alright_..." The voice whispered sexily as it gently bit the tip of his ear.

Water dripped from Shadows quills onto the other Mobian, making him seem even more excited. The cold mist surrounded the bathroom, making it hard for the ebony to make out the harassers' face. But he could feel it, the breath on his neck. It was oddly alluring and familiar.

"What the hell do you think your doing?! **Get off me this instant**!" Shadow exclaimed violently before ripping himself from the other Mobian's grasp.

He quickly looked behind him, getting prepared for a fight by lifting one of his fists in front of him. However the eyes he saw glowed a vibrant emerald green. His familiar charismatic face, bright blue fur, and upbeat-hopeful irises caused his body to instantly relax. It was most certainly his sweetheart. But he wasn't feeling particularly mushy after being scared nearly to death.

"Hay babe, don't you look **_sexy_** this evenin." The azure growled impishly while biting his lip slightly.

"Sonic?! How the hell did you get in my house! This is why I **DO NOT** give you a key." He mumbled through his teeth before curving his mouth to a very disappointed scowl.

"Awwww _c'monnnn_ shadz. I was walking through the forest and I just couldn't stay away. The urge to snuggle you was just too strong to ignore." He sexily slid his thumb across the ebony's soft, feminine lips.

The more Shadow's body was in his sights the more he realized how girly Shadow's features were. His expressive and large crimson eyes, red lips, slightly hourglass-like figure and of course soft silky black fur all looked downright irresistible. He had been holding in most of his urges while on his dates with his love, but sometimes he just couldn't control it. Shadow was his princess after all.

"Damnit… We just saw each other yesterday. I do need my alone time you know…" Shadow tightly gripped the robe loosely wrapped around his body, trying desperately to make sure it didn't come off.

The last thing Shadow wanted was to give the azure fuel. Fuel to make him even more controlling than he already was. Not that the ebony minded it a whole lot. He kind of liked the thought of being dominated. However, the hostility of Shadow's actions only made things worse as the cobalt slowly pushed him against the wall, running his fingers through his soft wet quills.

"But how many times do I get to touch a wet, beautiful, ebony princess. Honestly, this was an amazing opportunity and you're just being a sour puss. I hope I didn't scare you _tooooooo_ bad, though." He cried sarcastically into the charcoal's ears.

Shadow's irises focused on his face as he started to dart his eyes around in a suspicious manner before sliding his index finger down the azure's chest fur. He got a great and mischievous idea. This would surely be enough punishment for scaring him.

"Why in the _world_ would I be scared of my **one** true love?" He asked slyly before pushing his face close to the cobalt's and giving his nose a gentle kiss.

He fluttered his eyes innocently before grasping the azures tail and sliding his fingertips all around the base. Sonic's body stiffened as he pushed his body against the other's as hard as he could and sweetly wagged his stubby tail.

"Guess I'll just have to try harder next time, hmm?" He replied pervertedly before starting to lap the water off the charcoal hedgehog's neck.

"Oh my... You're turned on already, hmm? Well, I know _exaccctlyy_ how to fix that." Shadow quickly placed his hands on the sapphire hedgehog's chest before giving him a good push.

Sonic's face turned frightened almost instantly as he went flying towards the tub. Before Shadow could even say oops, he splashed into the lukewarm and salty water. Gasping and thrashing sounds polluted the air almost emmediately.

"SHADOW! PLEASE SAVE ME! OH MY CHAOS! IM GONNA DIE!" Scared yelps and cries emanated from the bathtub as he flailed all over like a scared little cat.

"Serves you right for scaring me, you little shit... Come on. It's barely a foot deep. All you need to do is step out of the water..." Shadow placed his hand out, pointing at the obvious ledge he could use to step out of the water.

"Shadow, **please**! I'm so scared!" Sonic continued to cry as the yelps became more and more desperate.

"Quit panicking and use your brain, dumby!"

* * *

Sonic was wrapped tightly in a soft towel as the ebony tried to steer him towards the couch. His eyes remained dilated as he continuingly bumped into things including the walls. He was shaking violently and seemed to be completely separated from reality. Shadow finally placed him down on the couch before sighing in frustration.

"I think you're overreacting, I get you almost died last time but can you please have a tiny sense of humor." He gently patted the azures head before releasing one half-serious chuckle.

Sadly enough, he did find it kind of funny. Someone so strong and powerful scared by merely being put in the same area as water.

"That **wasn't** funny." He replied plainly as he wrapped the towel around himself tighter, making sure to hide his shame.

"You're the one who sneaked into my BATHROOM. I think Mr. _Prince_ would connect the dots. Bathroom means water and you know for a fact that you saw me in the bathtub." The ebony sighed annoyedly as he tried to defend himself, but the azure was not in the mood.

"I hate you." He wrapped himself into a little ball while trying to recover from the rather horrifying event.

"We both know that's a lie..." Shadow sneakily slipped himself next to the azure who was completely avoiding eye contact with him.

He slid his hand on top of the others' and grabbed the remote with his other hand before turning to the nearest news station.

"Come on now. Don't be a _grump_ the rest of the night. You know how much you mean to me and I hate to see you so upset." He admitted honestly before coiling his mouth to a smile and squeezing the others' hand tightly.

The news immediately flipped to an emergency report of the north side of Jednak. It showed trees being toppled over and whole acres of land being obliterated by hail, landslides, tornados and much more.

"...Our emergency news stations are on the scene where sixteen acres of land and twelve homes have been destroyed by two huge tornados. Eight people have been found deceased and many more are still missing... This is the sixth natural disaster in Jednak out of the seemingly hundreds elsewhere. The horrible events started about a month ago and do not seem to be stopping anytime soon. This is Nada Bijela, reporting live from Besplanto, Jednak. The next broadcast begins in a half an hour, have a good evening. "

"Another natural disaster?" Sonic ears perked up as he heard the report, quickly snapping him out of his panic induced coma.

"Looks like it... Those poor people. Do you think it has something to do with us?" The ebony placed his ungloved hand over his muzzle, blinking rapidly as he tried to understand what was going on.

"I don't _think_ so... I mean we are pretty sure that the kid is dead. But we won't know until we get further information. It's slowly coming towards Slaboda so we should be careful. Don't worry though, hon. I'm sure everything will work itself out." Emerald eyes met rubies as he gently grabbed his towel and starting to wrap it around the both of them.

It was odd how powerful the connection was. It was as if it was actually magnetic and the two fell for its pull. Before they knew it they were huddled together as tightly as they could, occasionally lapping the water off of the others body. 

"You really think so, huh? You really do amaze me. You always seem to know all the right answers even if their blatant lies. I'm not really sure what I would do if I didn't have your stupid charismatic ass around me all the time." The energy transferring into Shadow's body warmed and relaxed his muscles and he knew this was probably leading somewhere he wasn't ready for. 

"Heh... Right back atcha, beautiful." Sonic growled slightly before gently sliding his peach colored lips all the way down Shadow's neck, causing the ebony to arch his back and groan in response.

It was too good of a feeling to ignore. Shadow knew that, of course. But he kept trying to put it off for that special, wonderful moment when it would be perfect. He kind of hoped that something would stop them from continuing but what would at this time of the evening? Thankfully, he got his wish as a knock interrupted their panting euphoric passion and it was certainly something they could not ignore.

"Please, open the door. This is the International Police Department and we don't want any trouble." 


	2. Chapter 2

Shadow and Sonic sat in the beautifully decorated dining room, silently sipping their tea as the three police officers sat across from them sorting out their many papers. They thankfully had enough time to completely dry themselves and put on their gloves and shoes before being practically forced to answer the door. The one sitting right in front of them was obviously some high level general and to top it all off he was human. He seemed to be somewhere in his mid to late thirties. The other officers were both Mobians of some kind. Most likely a fox and a panther. They were both very young, probably in their early twenties and had a look of pure wonder as they glanced around the house. Sonic peeped over at the ebony who happened to be staring intensely at his teacup. This was certainly not a comfortable situation for either of them.

"I apologize if we frightened you two. But we **really** needed to speak to you. I am sure you are aware of the many destructive events happening around the world and we need your help, Shadow." His low base voice echoed through the room with a rather unusual accent as he stacked all of his papers into a neat little pile.

Sonic was relatively shocked that the Jednakian police force would ever send a human general instead of a Mobian. Humans were always looked down upon in Jednak, especially in the more conservative areas of the country. But this one seemed to be a relatively decent guy and Sonic could understand why he was hired. His soft brown hair was well groomed and his eyes glowed an almost hypnotic orangish yellow. The little gold general badge on his chest really stood out against his greenish outfit and radiated pride and courage. Sonic grunted softly as he was never really comfortable being around cops, especially human generals. Shadow, on the other hand, was relatively used to these kinds of people now. Of course, he used to be very bitter towards human officers but grew to realize how kind and honest they could be. Working at G.U.N for those many grueling years helped calm his prejudice a bit. However, something seemed very special about this specific general. He remembered seeing him somewhere... But where?

"Of course, officer. What do you need my help with?" Shadow gently pushed his hand underneath the table to gently grab onto the azures', noticing his awkward skeptic mood almost immediately. The last thing he needed to deal with was the cobalt thrashing out and doing something he would end up regretting.

"We need you to go on an emergency mission. We have just found Dr. Robotnik's base abandoned, which is great news for us. We can get some much-needed information. I need you to sneak in without destroying anything, get inside and hack into the computers. I'm sure you have enough specialized training to do that. When you get in, we will communicate with you via the communicator and let you gather the information. The more files you look in and take pictures of the better. The rest of us will go looking around the grounds to make sure there isn't any more data we could collect." His gentle yet low voice echoed through the dining room in a slightly serious yet warm tone as he nodded softly to confirm what he had said.

"What about **me**?" Sonic questioned quickly as he really hoped they would let him tag along.

Where in the world could have Ivo ran off to now? It really worried him. Ivo was still his father, technically that is, and the last thing he wanted was to find him dead. Why in the world would he just leave? He had been defeated countless times, why was this one any different. It wasn't like Sonic felt any angrier than he already was. The damage had already been done... Something definitely seemed fishy.

He clenched his fists tightly as he desperately hoped he could join them.

"Unfortunately, the Jednakian police force specifically told me to reject your request. This mission is for Shadow and our team. **Please** ,stay out of our way..." He glared suspiciously at the sapphire hedgehog before leaning against his chair.

Anger erupted from emerald green eyes as he lunged slightly at the cop from across the table. He didn't want to hurt him necessarily, just show that he wasn't to be messed with.

"Do you realize that this is my father we are talking about!? I have a right to know where he has gone. I'm very worried about him!" He pounded his fist against the table and growled angrily at the emotionless and unafraid cop.

The ebony grabbed his shoulders and violently pulled him away before shoving him back to his seat. A very salty glare was sent to the cobalt and this was when he knew he was officially in time out.

"It saddens me **greatly** to hear that... I can assure you that if we find any trace of where he went we  will let you know when we get back." The officer croaked worryingly as his face formed a slightly sympathetic grin.

"Sonic...Do NOT approach an officer like that or dear god help me, it's the couch for the next year. Just let me handle this mission alone. I can assure you that Ivo is probably fine. It takes a lot more than this to make him run off and I know you know that." Shadow nagged slightly as he returned his gaze back to the officer, attempting to reassure him that he had everything out of control.

"But what will I do while you're gone...?" Sonic pouted his bottom lip and flattened his ears before whimpering softly.

"I don't know. Do what you **always** do when I'm on trips!" The ebony proclaimed exaggeratingly before pushing his index finger against the hardwood dining table, trying to keep his frustration and embarrassment under control.

"Cry in my bed until you come back?" He replied dejectedly before sluggishly lying his head on the table.

" _Come on_... We both know you don't do that so quit trying to persuade me. If you really want to, you can stay here, water my plants and feed my fish. However, you must **promise** to be considerate. This is my property you know." The ebony tightly grabbed Sonic's ear and tugged hard enough to make the cobalt's face and ear glow slightly red in discomfort and pain.

"OW OW... FINE FINE... Geez. Wait...! Since **when** did you have a fish?!" The sapphire hedgehog exploded as if it was the most important news in the world.

"Just stay here! And be a _good_ little boy." He gently flicked the cobalt's nose before growling slightly.

"Since when was **I** a boy... This is _all_ man here, baby." He grinned mischievously as he grabbed the charcoal hedgehog's hand and placed it on his relatively muscular chest.

"Not in front of the police officer!?" Shadow immediately pulled his arm back in defense before glaring coldly.

"Alright... alright! No need to yell at me, _woman_. I'll keep your garden company and uh... _Feed your fish_." Sonic winked sweetly before crossing one of his legs over the other and placing his hands behind the back of his neck.

"Ya ya ya... I apologize, officer. He's a bit immature and disobedient sometimes. Do not mind him too much. He's not as violent as he looks. Anyway, when are we going to start?" Shadow explained desperately as he tried to protect both himself and his mate from being taken as a threat.

Sonic reacted with a slight scowl and grunt before leaning against his chair. He really didn't feel like arguing with Shadow anymore at the risk that it might actually turn into a real fight.

Thankfully, the officer was staring at Shadow's face blankly as his cheeks flushed slightly red. He faintly stuttered before smiling happily. He knew how rare it was to see a couple quite like this in Jednak.

"Oh uh well... Tomorrow at eight. We will get the other team ready to go and we will start making a plan at G.U.N headquarters..." His voice seemed to have warm up a bit as he nodded softly.

So this country wasn't as bad as the media made it out to be. These two people at the very least seemed to be respectable.

"Sounds good to me. Well, it **is** starting to get late. I would appreciate if you and you colleagues would take your leave and stop getting into my things!" The ebony shouted irritably, making sure to aim his voice right at the officers who had run off.

The two officers that made the intelligent decision that looking through bookshelves and cabinets in boredom was a fantastic and not completely rude idea, both turned their heads before uncomfortably putting things back where they belonged. They scampered over to the professional officer before bowing their heads in apology.

"My sincerest apologies. These buffoons are relatively new to Jednak and are interested in the culture. Sometimes they get just a _tad_ carried away. And if you don't mind me asking, do you two get **persecuted** a lot?" He tilted his head slightly, attempting to make the words coming out of his mouth not insulting or biased.

"Hmm...? Why would we?" Shadow's eyes opened widely before confusingly glaring at his azure love.

"Oh... He's asking because were banging." Sonic explained cheekily while pointing his finger straight in the air.

"We have **never** done such a thing!" The charcoal hedgehog exploded as he waved his hands in front of him in defense.

"Yet, that is... And no, we're kind of a new couple so we haven't got much attention yet. However, I've known a few other gay men and they seemed to have been **pretty** accepted." Sonic shrugged slightly before shaking his head.

"Ya... Now that you mention it, Rob has never had issues. Speaking of which, I need to pay him a visit after this little mission. I've heard he's been quite-" Shadow was cut off almost immediately as if the general was so excited to speak that he couldn't wait.

"That's great to hear... My name is Iskra by the way and I'm from Intrepidus, your neighboring country to the north... These _clowns_ are too and we have heard quite a few bad things about Jednak..." The general's voice trailed off slightly as the azure's face had become rather dark and serious, his brow flaring down making him look almost demonic.

"Really...? I had no idea..." Shadow gently pet the cobalt's arm, desperately trying to calm him down as the other officers stood firmly, ready to protect their general incase of an attack.

"Let me handle this, Shadow. Yes, we have had many **dictators** in the past but this new government system has been working very well for us and there are more people safe and healthy than ever in Jednak's history. As a prior gymnast who had to get major surgery on his leg, it was very challenging even a  decade ago to get medical care. Now everyone has it practically for free. Not to mention, our poverty percentage has reduced by fifteen percent in the past ten years. So please let those in your country know that we are doing very well for ourselves." He explained firmly as his low voice echoed through the dining room in a way that made the room instantly silent.

The general smiled again before nodding his head slightly. He knew that this little hedgehog was just very prideful of Jednak and didn't think much of his odd change of behavior.

" **Certainly**... I suppose you have lived here your entire life?" The officer asked surprisedly as Sonic responded with a solid nod.

"That's amazing... Well, I'm very happy to see a homosexual couple so good for each other and so happy. It's great to see so much **joy** in a country known for such **despair**. Well, I suppose I should be getting on my way... Thank you for the chat boys." He tilted his hat and flicked his hand to the side, letting the others know it was time to leave as well.

He handed Shadow a sticky note with his name and number before sternly walking over to the other officers and gently bopping them both on the head before taking his leave out the door. Sonic uncomfortably shuffled his feet against the ground slightly as he leaned against Shadow's chair, carefully avoiding eye contact.

"So... You mind explaining what the hell all that was about? What despair? Why are you making such a big deal out it?! Losing your cool is not like you." Shadow mumbled angrily while leaning his head against the cobalt's arm.

"Jednak... Has always been a very desolate dangerous place until recent years and... Ivo is great evidence to support it."


	3. Chapter 3

Sonic released an incredibly flustered sigh, as he tried to gather all his thoughts. There was a long minute of silence as he combed his fingers through his quills and over his face. He looked unbelievably uncomfortable trying to find the best way to say his thoughts.

"Even I know I **don't** have the right to release personal information about Ivo's life... But what I can tell you is especially when he was young, this country had _unbelievably_ awful corruption, crime, and prejudice. I don't really know a whole lot about his childhood specifically but I know it was extremely challenging. However, he always found a way to be happy. Even with all the horrible stuff that happened. To top it all off, he starting raising me at the incredibly young age of seventeen. So much love and care was shown that I never had a day go by where he didn't love me unconditionally.  Without a doubt, if there was anyone who impacted me, it would be him. But that Ivo no longer exists. The loving father who raised me has been replaced with this irritated bad-tempered old man. And the sad part is... There's nothing I can do about it and no way I can make him understand." He gently placed his hands over his own muzzle, trying desperately to hide the despondency so obvious in his sparkling sensitive emerald eyes.

"I can only imagine would it would be like to watch a family member just change like that. What does he want to accomplish anyway? There must me some partially logical reason for his dramatic change of personality." Shadow replied curiously before resting his arm on the azure's shoulder.

"That's a question you need to ask him... All I know is I cannot and **WILL** not let him take over this country. I don't know what he will do if he becomes a dictator... The old Ivo would have _never_ used violence to get what he wanted... And this Ivo uses it all the time. This means I have no idea who he is anymore and I probably never will. This is why I have to keep fighting him. I don't want him to hurt this country and more importantly himself." His stern yet concerned words echoed in Shadow's mind, he had never heard Sonic quite this upset.

The azure dug his fingertips into his eyes, trying desperately not to show weakness. It was odd seeing Sonic have to fight to keep his composure. The sensitivity of the subject was more than obvious.

"But there must be some rational reason he believes things need to change..., right? It just doesn't make any sense." Shadow comforted slightly by rubbing the other's back, attempting to get just a little more information before the cobalt broke down.

"Ivo wants and has **always** wanted change... He's an unconventional jerk-wad. An egotistical-witty-competitive rebel. Sound familiar? But the big difference is... I take what I can get. I'm personally content with the country the way it is...  Ivo is not. Simple, but enough to make us almost hate each other. However, this country isn't the only reason for his practical loss of sanity but I know for a fact he would not want me telling. Next time you see him, ask him about a man named **Vatro**... But be ready. It's a _very_ touchy subject." Sonic released a fretful sigh before smiling slightly at the ebony's attempt to calm him.

"If it's going to make him upset, maybe it's better I **don't** know. Anyway, I think it's about time I get to bed. We can talk about this in the morning or when I get back..." He knew this conversation had to end quickly before Sonic actually started having a mental breakdown.

He yawned slightly before turning around and staring at the azure tiringly. As he rested his hip against the archway he glared at him worryingly... He looked like he needed a little love at the very least.

"I **assume** you're coming with? Last time I checked, we are together. Sleeping in the same bed isn't weird or anything." The ebony glanced shyly as his words came out much more soft and sweet then he had wanted.

To no avail unfortunately, Sonic leaned against the beautiful carved chair in exactly the same place while staring intensely out the window. He didn't even notice Shadow's request as he seemed deep in thought. His face glowed somewhat with the hidden pain and suffering of god knows how many bad situations and Shadow knew he had to snap him out of it. He slouched slightly before groaning and slowly walking over to the cobalt. He wrapped his arms tightly around his waist before pulling playfully.

"Come to bed, Sonic, I'm downright exhausted." He continued to yank gently as he whined irritatingly, trying to get the others attention.

The sapphire hedgehog didn't speak in response. Instead, he smiled tenderly before gradually kissing the charcoal hedgehog's forehead, relishing every moment of passion. Shadow couldn't help but blush timidly and hide his face in the others peachy, soft chest fur.

"Don't do thatttt... It's embarrassing... It's like every kiss is some kind of momentous occasion." The ebony responded bashfully as the blush on his cheeks spread to the rest of his face.

"You know, for a fact that I can do way worse and who says it isn't a special occasion? Sharing passion with you is the best experience I will ever have and the best feeling I will ever feel. However way we do it, doesn't matter. As long as it's with **you**." Sonic gently stroked the ebony's back as he snuggled him as tightly as he could, minding that he needed to breeth.

"Oh my goooood, stop it. You don't need to be so sappy all the time. I'm quite content with just the occasional _I love you_ or hug, you know. You don't need to express your infatuation every moment you get." His slightly annoyed words were muffled by the excessive amount of fur as he tried to keep his poise.

"Heh... I maybe sappy... But I am most certainly in love." The cobalt teased sweetly before softly kissing the tip of the ebony's ear.

"Mmm... That's quite a treacherous proclamation. I rather not become spoiled like a certain someone I know. Now please, I am very tired... It's been quite an exhaustingly long day." He complained playfully as he blinked his heavy eyes slowly, attempting to keep himself awake.

"Alright, alright. Geez for an _ultimate lifeform_ you sure get exhausted easily. Coffee is a wonderful substance just fyi." Sonic placed his hand on his hip before giving the ebony his traditional obnoxious wink.

"It's not **my** fault that I have to deal with you..." The charcoal hedgehog responded irritably.

"It could be way worse y'know. I'm _always_ on my best behavior for you." Sonic quickly swept the ebony into his arms before starting to walk towards the bedroom.

" **Let me go**! I don't  need or want to be carried, faker!" The ebony wiggled slightly, attempting to free himself but the azure just kept on walking towards his bedroom.

"Too bad. I'm in control now." He replied sternly as he stopped in his tracks for a second to give the ebony a little nibble on the cheek.

"Such naughty words for a man who's not going to be getting **anything** more than a kiss goodnight." Shadow growled furiously as the cobalt continued walking towards and finally into the bedroom.

By this point, it was so dark that both of them could barely make out the outline of the room. It was so unbelievably quiet and it sounded as if even the cicadas had stopped their chirping so the two could have some **_quality_** alone time. The sapphire hedgehog decided not to turn on the lights and glared around waiting for his eyes to adjust before responding to Shadow's traditional cold statement.

"We will just have to see about that." The sapphire hedgehog gently placed Shadow on the soft bed before tightly wrapping the sheets around them both.

He then bent down and gave his ebony the gentlest kiss he could, right on his pinkish-red lips. He almost forgot how soft they were, even though they had just kissed a few days ago. He slid his tongue gently over them, flickering gently as he did so. Shadow groaned eagerly in response before giving him a peck back.

"Sonic... I really am about to pass out. Please **don't** turn me on now. I won't be able to fix it and I will be very irritated." He sunk the back of his head right into the soft pillow and he could feel the onset of sleep just around the corner.

"Who said I was _trying_ to turn you on? You're simply overreacting. **This** is me trying to turn you on." He quickly slid his mouth slyly up the ebony's neck, causing a flustered gasp to slip from the other's lips.

"Do that again and it's the couch. Do not test the waters tonight, mister." The ebony demanded coldly before pushing the azure off his body and turning his face towards the other direction.

"Aww... **_So_** adorable. Fine... I'll let you win this time. But next time... Your body will be mine and it will be ALL mine." He replied pervertedly as he immediately wrapped his arms around the ebony's tiny waist.

"Ya ya ya, whatever you say, darling."


	4. Chapter 4

A warm bright aura fluttered throughout the small yet sleek bedroom. Shadows' house always had the most beautiful décor and on top of that, everything was so well organized that you could probably find a tiny pin in an instant. Unfortunately, the azure was unable to marvel at the beauty of the area as he had had his eyes tightly shut. It was about 7:15 am and the ebony had forty-five minutes until he had to pack up his things and leave for his mission. He really hoped he wouldn't have to wake the cobalt and tell him goodbye before he left. Waking up Sonic was already a death sentence, add on the fact that Shadow had pretty much cock blocked him last night, and you have yourself a very grumpy hedgehog. In regards to this, the ebony tiptoed his way out of the bedroom and gently shuffled his way to the kitchen to make some breakfast. He looked up at his picture of Maria and gave her a sweet "good morning" before starting to make some pancakes. They weren't Sonic's absolute favorite food but Shadow was certain they were in the top ten. Fluffy and brown with just a little drizzle of fudge sauce. He hoped with every fiber of his being that this would be enough to get the azure up and running.

Sonic lied in a rather contorted position while sleeping away the morning. That was until the waft of delicious pancakes came in contact with his nose... A smell that was more than familiar.

* * *

Sleepy young eyes blinked slowly as a little blue hedgehog was seen sitting slouched over onto the kitchen table. His feet dangling loosely and occasionally tapping against the bottom of the table in boredom. A soft hum could be heard coming from the kitchen, not too far from where he was sitting. The room was very simple and was completely open to the rest of the main living space. The little azure could see right into the kitchen from the dining room, not that he really wanted to. The décor was less than stellar yet enough for a comfortable living. Some of it was even rusty and old but it was still what he called home. He felt downright exhausted after staying up all night waiting for his daddy to come back from _work_ but he fell asleep in the process. He assumed this was not going to be a very good day, especially between him and his father.

"Ay. Sonic, how many pancakes you want?" A slightly feminine yet apparent male voice yelled from the kitchen.

It was always a very sweet even loving voice and it constantly irritated the cobalt child. Trying to take someone seriously with such a submissive speaking voice was certainly a challenge. Sonic always hoped he would just stand his ground for once in his life. He knew soft-spoken people like him often times got misused and the azure couldn't stand the thought even for a second.

"I get to _choose_ this time? Normally, I'm limited to three." The little blue hedgehog replied sarcastically as even the sizzling sound of delicious pancakes wasn't enough to make him forget about the night prior.

"Well, today it's alright. I want you to be happy. You haven't smiled all morning." The man replied gloomily as footsteps echoed into the dining room.

Out came a rather short and pudgy human man. Roughly 5 3' with ivory white skin and hair as red as the blood coursing through his veins with a just a hint of chestnut. His hair was bunched into a rather messy yet cute ponytail and the adorable apron his son made for him at school was tightly wrapped around his waist. It had the cutest little sparkly lettering on it that read "Love you daddy Ivo" with crooked messy handwriting that only made it more endearing. Ivo's luminescent green eyes flickered with a slight regret as he knew exactly the cause of his son distance.

He was forced to work an hour past his shift and on top of that he took a trip to his lover's house. What happened after that was one silly mistake after another, resulting in him returning home half past three with a bottle in hand and very sunken drunk eyes. He had only turned twenty one about three months ago and he had already pushed the boundaries of what was considered controlled _drinking_. He knew how important being responsible and stable was for a growing boy's development but it just wasn't as easy as he thought. Juggling a job from seven to five every day but Sunday was already hard enough but having to take care of his lover and child was more than enough to make him feel unbelievably overwhelmed. But somehow, he always seemed to have that gentle smile pasted onto his ivory-white face. Remaining positive in times of tribulation was absolutely necessary in order to have the happy family he always dreamed of ever since he was a child.

"Oh I _dunnoooooo_... Maybe it's because you didn't come home until like four last night... And don't try to fool me by saying you were working overtime for THAT long. I see the hickeys on your neck y'know and the dark bags under your eyes." The child spat angrily as he sent a cold "hmph" right to the bewildered man.

"Ah... Ya caught me. I was at Vatro's house... And things _kind of_ got carried away. Don't worry though, he's really busy today so I will come  straight home." He admitted whole-heartedly before walking over to the little azure and kneeling down in order to look right into his flickering sad eyes.

"I really don't like him... He's **not** safe. You had to pick the first human man of age you come in contact with to be your lover. Real smart idea, dad. He's like sixteen too... Aren't you going to get in trouble?" He forcefully turned his face the other direction as slight tears started to develop in his eyes.

 _(This stupid man... Stupid STUPID man.)_

"Well, last time I checked I was an **adult** and you the **child**. And he just turned eighteen... So I can do whatever I want to him. Besides that, I can assure you, you are in  absolutely no danger. If Vatro wanted to hurt you he..." He was cut off by a loud roar of anger and spite.

"I don't **care** about me, Ivo! I can end his miserable existence in two seconds if I needed too. I'm worried about you! Your stupid and let your emotions rule your decisions! Use logic, dad! I have remembered countless times him almost hitting you or accidently losing his temper. He's immature, you're immature and it is not a good match **at all**." He bellowed while thrusting his fist onto the table and creating a very loud, obnoxious bang.

Ivo's shocked, porcelain face twitched slightly as he couldn't believe how rude his little son was being. Did he deserve to be called out for his mistakes? Of course. His little son did mean the world to him. Not to mention he was the only person he could protect and love without fear of being left behind. However, Ivo's patience was wearing thin. Trying to keep things in line and under control was hard enough but once yelling started he knew he had to discipline.

"Do not use that tone of voice with me, Sonic." He irritably stood up while glaring at him sternly before giving him a loving kiss the top of his head.

"I love you so much. But you do not have a right to speak to me like that. You know that I work very very hard to keep you safe and sound. I promise that if he shows any signs of abuse that I'll leave. But I love him, sweetheart. A lot. And someday I hope you will understand and respect that." The man uttered affectionately while attempting to keep his voice stern and serious.

"I will never like him... End of story. But there are other things bothering me too." The child cupped his hands together before glancing down worryingly.

"And what might those be...?" The man responded skeptically while starting to waltz back to the kitchen before the pancakes started burning.

"I want to be with you more. I only get to see you in the mornings and occasionally the evenings... You're always so busy with training your Olympians. You never have **any** time for _me_." The child replied dejectedly before plopping his head right back on the table.

He knew this was a topic his dad never liked talking about. But he really wanted to not only spend more time with him but maybe even do a little training himself. He knew he wasn't allowed to be a runner. There were specific rules against having supersonic hedgehogs competing alongside normal Mobians, but the sport he loved was not one he was banned from. This made him especially excited. He wanted nothing more than to compete for his country and at the very least gain some much needed confidence.

"Oh, so that's the problem... You don't like Vatro and my students hogging the spotlight and worry they will replace you... Well, don't you worry about that, because my love for you is **unconditional**. I can live without Vatro and my job... But I would find it nearly  impossible to live without you." Ivo replied sweetly as he flipped one of the many pancakes on the stove before glancing back at his child to see if the loving statement created a reaction... Hopefully one that would help steer the conversation in another direction.

"Thanks, dad... But that doesn't help the issue of me not seeing you. I want... I want to train gymnastics. I'm eight now! I'm old enough to handle the responsibility." His words flew through the air like stray bullets to make sure he could get through the entire sentence without his dad cutting him off.

"We have talked about this **many** times Sonic. It's far too dangerous and I will not allow you to be part of their disgusting and repulsive system. No child of mine is going to be starved and abused. You know the **ONLY** reason I am a part of it, is to give you a happy and healthy life. If it was my decision, I would run off and be an inventor or something interesting like that. But you know that is a very dangerous and inconsistent job. I wouldn't have dependable money to keep you fed and housed." He forcefully threw the wet towel he was cleaning the counter with into the sink as he rubbed his fingertips into his eyes.

He knew this was coming. Sonic did have amazing talent. Not many Mobian's can do four backflips in a row without running into anything or getting dizzy in the process. Especially at such a young age and without any prior training. But he hated the thought of his child being treated like the many other children part of their intense and unfair program. It valued medals over anything else and if the child's needs or wants had to be sacrificed, they had **every** right to. If anything, he just wanted to lock Sonic up forever, keep him from the rest of the cruel world so he didn't have to experience the pain he went through.

"But you'll be my trainer! You will have complete control over my safety. Please, daddy... I love doing front flips! You saw how many I can do in a row! I don't want to waste my life sitting here and doing homework. I wanna bounce and fly and hear the cheering crowds!" The child exclaimed happily as he started imagining excited fans screaming his name as he walked onto the podium.

"That I am **very** aware of..." Ivo replied teasingly as could see the warmth and excitement emanating from his child's eyes as he finally decided to give in.

"Fine... You will come to my level one class for one day. If I see **any** signs of abuse or danger then you're out of there. But that means no pancakes.  Definitely not good for you." He smiled gently before calmly walking over to the child and giving him a really tight hug.

This was going to be a very difficult and frustrating next couple months if they even get that far. He would have to work much harder than he ever had and things would never quite be the same. But he knew he had to trust his child and instincts. He knew how great Sonic could be and hoped that things would go relatively smoothly. Nothing made Ivo happier than seeing his little azure's large charismatic and cheeky smile... Hopefully, it would stay that way.

" **No pancakes**?! Don't tell me that I'm going to have to eat green sludge for the rest of my life..."

* * *

The azure's blocked nose and teary eyes frantically woke him. His heart was thumping as fast as the thoughts flying through his mind. He felt incredibly emotional... However, even though he felt sad, he also felt slightly relieved. He thought those loving memories would be trapped forever... Thankfully, he was finally starting to get some feeling back for his spontaneous father, even after all the crap that happened a few months prior. He gently wiped the tears from his face as he sat up quickly. A single clock on the wall came into view and he realized how little time he had left.

"Shadow!" Was all the ebony's ears could register for a few seconds as he turned to see his little azure prince literally galloping down the hallway to the kitchen.

"Morning. Can you _not_ bulldoze my house down? I would greatly appreciate it. Also, are you alright? You look like you were just crying." He replied slightly irritably as Sonic had ran right into the kitchen countertops and fell to the cold ground before standing rapidly, pretending that nothing had happened.

"Never mind that! You're leaving soon, right?" He asked wildly before tightly wrapping his arms around the ebony as if he was trying to prevent him from leaving.

"Ah yes... In about ten minutes. You want some breakfast?" The ebony replied plainly as he started flipping the delicious pancakes on the griddle, trying desperately to ignore the full-grown adult clinging to his waist.

"Mmm... How about _desert_ , instead?" The ebony's neck was immediately smothered by a certain blue hedgehogs face and he released a frustrated sigh in response.

"Well, pancakes _can_ be desert too... If you're into that." Shadow replied sarcastically as he forcefully shoved the azure away from him before taking a huge gulp of his pancakes.

"Aww... C'monnnn. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I can't even have a little taste?" Emerald eyes glimmered with lust as the cobalt quickly grabbed the charcoal hedgehog's shoulders and pulled them as close to him as possible.

"Always so eager for a little **action** , aren't'cha faker. Don't you want to save that pleasure for the perfect moment?" The ebony bit his lip impatiently as Sonic sighed in frustration.

"Fine... Fine. But you _better_ stay safe so that when you come back we can experience and share that **beautiful** moment." He gently pecked the ebony's cheek before cheerfully walking over to the pancake plate.

"I'll take care of eating the rest of these for ya!" He continued as he started licking his lips and piling five pancakes onto his plate.

Shadow smiled sweetly before quietly walking over to the azure and giving him a quick kiss on the ear.

He did love seeing his obnoxious azure happy, even if he was slightly frustrated with his stubborn attitude.

"You take care of yourself, as well. I'll be back by sunrise. Take care of the house for me, okay?" He replied gently before stacking some papers he needed and placing them in his folder then finally shoving everything into his backpack.

"I will most certainly do that... My beautiful princess." The cobalt replied sweetly as maple syrup soaked lips connected with the ebonys'.

"You never quit do you?" He muttered back as he responded word by word every time their lips parted from the kiss.

"Ya know me all too well, Shadz." 


	5. Chapter 5

Iskra and Shadow were silently resting against a tree as four other officers were seen desperately trying to fix their GPS system and pinpoint the exact location of Ivo's laboratory. Iskra was not really in the mood to help, oddly enough. After a rather frustrating and sleepless night in a country he wasn't accustomed to, he really just wanted to relax and chat with the ebony. They seemed to get along rather well, and Shadow was more than elated to have a respectable conversation with a decent person.

They were located just outside Slaboda. The little town was surrounded by two main forests and the shore. The north forest was where Shadow lived and the forest they were currently located in was in the southeast. Just past that was the beautiful coast where Ivo's laboratory was located. A few meters passed that was a beautiful floating province, soaring hundreds of feet in the air called Angel Island. No one was really certain why or even how it got so high. However, according to the myths, the ancients believed it was the master emerald attempting to reach the heavens to end a horrible famine. Shadow had heard the story many times, of course. Sometimes from Sonic but surprisingly more from Ivo. For the short time, the ebony lived with him, he wouldn't stop talking about the ancients and their beliefs. For such a hardcore scientist, he sure had a very strong core belief system.

"So you're technically _related_ to Ivo, right? That's kind of cool. To be honest, I've always wanted to meet him. I didn't even know he was a mad scientist. Our country mainly knows him as a fantastic coach. He was quite an amazing one at that. I suppose you can call me a bit of a fan." The general spoke clearly as the ebony had noticed a certain glimmer in the general's eyes that made him chuckle inside.

"Really, now? What did he coach exactly? I had no idea he even did anything related to **_exercise_**... He's a little on the chubby side, after all." Shadow joked faintly as the others lips had curved down to a slight frown.

I guess the petty and sarcastic insult didn't really make him that happy...

"Mainly gymnastics. I did a little extra research before we left and I believe you're uh... _boyfriend_? I think? Was a world champion way back when and was lucky enough to be trained by the best coach of the continent. Even people in my country at one time fled to the high-quality coaches Jednak had to offer. That was until the government stopped funding the Olympic system and completely dropped all its coaches, unfortunately." Iskra shrugged slightly as he watched the other officers closely, making sure they were still doing their job.

"I suppose that was probably for the best... Funding an Olympic system is very expensive and the money was probably needed for more important things. Regrettably, I don't really know much about this country... I only arrived a couple years ago and that was after all the craziness of the dictators and what not. But according to Sonic, it was a **very** awful and scary time." The ebony kicked a rock beside him slightly before glancing back at the general whose face had turned slightly dejected.

"That's what our country still believes Jednak is like but it looks like things have really cleaned up nicely!" Shadow noticed the immediate change of attitude from gloomy to hopeful, as one of the officers approached the both of them with some good news.

It was nice to see someone with a positive outlook on things. Especially a general who had probably seen many tragic events.

"Sir... Everything seems to be in working order. May we commence with the mission?" One of the many G.U.N soldiers spoke clearly as they both nodded in agreement before starting on their way.

"Sounds like Ivo has really let himself go, huh? **Really** a shame. He used to be so beautiful, at least in my opinion. He's the only human I've ever seen with bright red hair." The officer continued as he quickly pointed to his own brown hair before smiling innocently.

The other officers started leading and looked especially annoyed when they noticed that the general was chatting up a storm again. How odd for such a professional and highly awarded officer to be so inclined to make petty conversation.

"That's **quite** surprising. He's completely balled now, hides his eyes with shades and has a huge stomach but tiny appendages. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if he has some kind of medical condition by how weird his body looks." Shadow mumbled under his breath as even he thought his words came out a little too rude.

"Really? That's quite saddening to hear. He used to be so obsessive with his looks and what not. At least according to the copious amounts of media surrounding him at the time. I wonder what happened to him. I hope he's not like secretly dying and just never got around to telling." Iskra's face become incredibly concerned as the thought alone was enough to make him feel uncomfortable.

They continued making their way through the forest as the ebony stopped for a minute to give the other man a slight pat on the shoulder. The human nodded slightly as his face returned to its normal cheerful features.

"I'm **MORE** than certain he would have let me know, at the very least, if he had some serious condition. As for what happened to him, I guess this country chewed him up and spit him out... Nonetheless, I kind of wish I got to see him in his prime. I really don't know enough about his past. Speaking of which sounds like you know an _awful_ lot about him..." The ebony smiled slightly mischievously as he gently poked the already blushing man's shoulder.

"Oh uh well... Um... I did say I was a fan, didn't I? I always admired his ability to help little prepubescent Mobian's win an Olympic or world medal... He must be **really** good with children or at least a great motivator." He laughed awkwardly while playfully swatting the ebony's hand away.

"Not from what I've seen. His last kid was locked up in a cell. I couldn't **believe** how heartless he was." The ebony responded in between coughs as he attempted to keep himself composed.

Shadow's face immediately turned serious as the memory of his little robot child entered his thoughts. It had been just over two months since the kid plunged into the ocean along with his beloved. Rob had jumped in to try and save them both but only came out with Sonic. For the first few weeks, all Shadow could really do was throw up and sometimes cry, but thankfully after tons of TLC, both Rob and Sonic were able to get him back to the way he was. However, he never really felt like he fully recovered.

Since then, the image of the child gasping for air as he was pulled to the bottom of the ocean created this weird pounding pain in his stomach. It wasn't the child's fault in the slightest... And yet... He had to die in such a lonely and horrible way. But there was nothing the ebony could do about it now. Nonetheless, his heart still desired to find Celik and give him a proper burial at the very least. He never felt so strongly about laying someone to rest. He did call upon a search team but, as he suspected, there were no signs of him. No out of place metal parts washed onto shore, at least for the time being. So, he decided to try everything in his power to not think about it but the stupidest things seemed to trigger him. Before he knew it, he would be crying in the grocery store for no real apparent reason. How irritating grief could be, especially for someone normally so controlled.

His walking became slightly staggered as he started to feel the weight of grief pushing down on his body. It hurt just as bad as it did... How he wish it didn't. Continuing to walk through the twigs and rocks of an overgrown and thick forest slowly became gradually more challenging, and the general noticed the sadness emanating in the charcoal hedgehog's eyes and body almost immediately. He stopped in his tracks a little, allowing the other soldiers to get ahead a bit before taking a step closer to Shadow and giving him a gentle pat on the back.

"It's okay. You don't need to talk about it. I **completely** understand. However, it's hard to believe he would ever do something like that. It sounds like a completely different person." Iskra sympathized slightly before giving the ebony a little nudge to try and cheer him up.

"That's what... Sonic said too..." Shadow replied slowly, seeming to be deep in thought at the moment and lost in his own thoughts.

"Well... I suppose it **doesn't** matter. It's not like I'm probably ever going to meet him or have a conversation. But, in a way, I would like to... I really want to know how he got from where he was to where he is now." The general replied bashfully as he quickly cleared his throat before continuing their venture towards Eggman's base.

"That can be arranged more _easily_ than you think." The ebony countered slyly as he quickly followed behind.

"Heh. You're quite a charming fella. I can see why that blue hedgehog has the hots for you. Speaking of which, you made sure he didn't follow behind, _correct_? He seemed pretty determined to come with us." Iskra quickly turned his body to face the ebony before starting to walk backward as he looked at the charcoal hedgehog with slight skepticism.

"I'm _sure_ he's fine..."

Bright emerald eyes concentrated carefully on the group of government officials, cautiously making sure none of his movement's evoked suspicion. He couldn't, for the life of him, remember exactly where Ivo's base was and knew he was going to have to... Ever so carefully... Follow them. He tiptoed about ten or so feet from the group, making sure he didn't lose track of them for the first few miles. Suddenly, when he was about halfway through the forest, he heard an odd sound. It was very faint but he knew it wasn't anyone he was following. It sounded suspiciously like a child's voice and he knew that was not a good thing to hear in a creepy forest. He glared around, turning his head in every direction he could, trying desperately to look for a source. To no avail, unfortunately. Whatever it was, was no longer there, or even worse, never there to begin with. He sighed softly before scratching the back of his ear and turning back around to continue following the group. Unfortunately, they had already run off, and the azure mentally punched himself in the face for losing track of them. This was when he decided that he had to try and locate Eggman's base by himself or, at least, try to go back the way he came...

He shifted his weight from one foot to another while uncomfortably glaring around. He was looking for some kind of familiar route but couldn't find it. He paused worryingly after hearing strange quick footsteps and lunged towards them with little to no regard for his safety. He continued to take random frustrated steps, irritatingly glaring at every animal and falling leaf. He knew he was probably just paranoid but he felt so uneasy in this neck of the woods. It wasn't just that it was dark and very compact, it was also the smell. Granted it mostly had the waft of oak-wood trees and soil but there was something in the background. It smelled slightly metallic and rusty with just a hint of burning plastic. He couldn't imagine this being a good scent to have in a forest, mind you the many thick trees surrounding him. He continued taking ragged steps, each one getting more and more flustered until a thud below his left foot snapped him to attention. He tapped it again, revealing a heavy metal slate buried deep into the forest ground. Someone had purposely put leaves and shrubs on top of it; that was certain. He squatted to the ground, his arms dangling to either side of his knees, before reading the encryption. It read _EMERGENCY HATCH: DO NOT USE UNLESS NECESSARY_. Why would there be an emergency hatch this far into the forest? He poked the metal slab with his pointer finger, frustratingly trying to find a way to open it. Quickly, a little-lettered keypad popped out of the side. It had five empty spaces on the screen, and Sonic knew he had to figure out the password. He just had to find out where this secret tunnel went to.


End file.
